Your down payment is not your cash to close.
You saved $240,000 for a 20% down payment. You need $270,316 at the table. That $30,316 gap is where deals die three days before closing — and roughly half of it is negotiable, which nobody tells you either.
Cash to close is your down payment plus closing costs, and closing costs in California typically run 2–5% of the purchase price. On a $1.2M home with 20% down, that means bringing roughly $270,316 to the table — about $30,316 more than the $240,000 down payment most buyers budget for. The largest items are lender origination fees, title insurance and escrow, prepaid interest, and property tax and insurance impounds. Critically: lender fees and title/escrow are negotiable or shoppable — roughly $15,600 of that total — while recording fees, transfer tax and impounds are not. Almost nobody tells buyers which is which.
The real number you bring to escrow.
Itemised, honestly, with the negotiable fees marked. This is the figure that surprises people three days out.
Negotiable. Ask for it to be reduced or waived.
Close late in the month and prepaid interest drops.
Negotiate this into the offer. It is free money and most buyers never ask.
$32,606 more than your down payment.
You budgeted $240,000. You need $272,606. $17,890 of that is negotiable — and nobody is going to volunteer which parts.
What you saved. What you actually need.
Each slab is a cost, and its thickness is the money. The teal foundation is the down payment you planned for. Everything stacked on top is the part nobody warned you about.
Adriana will send an itemised estimate with every negotiable fee marked — so you know exactly what to push back on.
Illustrative only. California closing costs vary by county, by title company, by lender and by the day. Transfer tax differs sharply between cities — San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley are far higher than most of Santa Clara County. Impound amounts depend on your closing date and the tax calendar. Your Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure are the binding documents; this is a planning tool. Not a commitment to lend. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Half of this is negotiable.
Lenders present the fee sheet as though it were a tax bill. It isn't. Some of these numbers are fixed by law and some are simply what someone typed. Here is which is which — including the fees we charge.
The lender fees — origination, underwriting, processing — are margin. They are not fixed by anyone. Ask for them to be reduced and a surprising number of them simply are, which tells you exactly what they were.
Title and escrow you are legally entitled to shop in California, and prices vary by thousands. Most buyers use whoever the lender suggests and never look.
And the lever nobody pulls: ask the seller for a credit toward closing costs. Write it into the offer. It costs nothing to ask and in a slower market it is frequently granted.
Yes — some of the fees on this list are ours. Challenge those too.
From here to the keys — five steps.
No mystery, no call centre, no "we'll get back to you." Every step is exactly what happens inside it.
Four questions. No credit pull, no sign-up, no obligation.
~60 secondsWhat happensShe will tell you which fees to challenge — including ours — and shop the title and escrow for you.
Same dayWhat happensUnderwritten against real documents — not a soft letter any lender prints.
~24 hoursWhat happensListing agents call Adriana. She picks up. That is worth more than a bid.
Your timelineWhat happensConditions cleared, docs signed, funded. And she tells you when PMI ends.
To the dateWhat happensThree closings. One buyer showed up short.
The numbers behind three California closings.
He had budgeted the down payment exactly. Nobody had walked him through impounds.
Origination, processing, underwriting and a $995 'admin fee' nobody could explain.
It cost him nothing to ask. Most buyers never do, because nobody tells them they can.
ADReal Estate & Mortgage Broker · GRI
Milpitas, California · Serving all 58 counties
English & Español
Don't take our word for it — click through and verify her licence yourself. We'd encourage it. Anyone who discourages you from checking is telling you something.
A licensed broker who answers her own phone.
"A broker who will tell you no is the only kind whose yes means anything."
Everything people actually ask.
What are closing costs in California?
Typically 2–5% of the purchase price, on top of your down payment. The main components are lender fees (origination, underwriting, processing), title insurance and escrow, appraisal, recording and transfer taxes, prepaid interest, and impound accounts for property tax and insurance.
What is the difference between the down payment and cash to close?
The down payment is your equity contribution. Cash to close is that plus all closing costs, prepaid items and impounds, minus any credits. On a $1.2M purchase with 20% down, buyers who budget $240,000 routinely discover they need over $270,000 — and they discover it late.
Which closing costs are negotiable?
Lender fees are negotiable — origination, processing, underwriting and any vaguely named 'admin' or 'document' fee. Title and escrow are shoppable: you are legally entitled to choose your own provider in California and prices vary meaningfully. What is not negotiable: recording fees, transfer taxes, the appraisal, and impounds — those are set by government or by arithmetic.
What are impounds and why are they so large?
An impound (or escrow) account is money the lender collects up front to guarantee your property taxes and insurance get paid. Depending on when you close relative to the tax calendar, you may need to fund six or more months of property tax and a full year of insurance at closing. It is the single most common reason cash to close exceeds expectations.
Can the seller pay my closing costs?
Yes, and this is the most under-used lever in the whole transaction. Seller credits are negotiated into the purchase contract and are limited by loan type and down payment — typically 3–6% on conventional. It costs you nothing to ask, and in a slower market sellers frequently agree. Most buyers never raise it.
Does closing later in the month reduce my costs?
Yes, slightly. You prepay interest from your closing date to the end of the month, so closing on the 28th means far less prepaid interest than closing on the 3rd. It is not a large saving but it is free, and it is worth knowing when you have flexibility on the date.
What is a 'no-closing-cost' loan?
One where the lender covers your closing costs in exchange for a higher interest rate. You pay the costs either way — the only question is whether you pay them once at the table or every month for thirty years. If you will keep the loan a long time it is usually the more expensive option.
What if I don't have enough cash to close?
Options exist and they are worth exploring early rather than in a panic: reduce the down payment and accept PMI, negotiate a seller credit, take a lender credit at a higher rate, or use gift funds from family (which have documentation rules). What you must not do is discover the shortfall three days before closing. Run the numbers now.
Stop estimating. Get the real number.
Four questions, no credit pull. You'll get your payment, your options, and an honest read on the best fit.
The other eight calculators.
Each one shows you a number the rest leave out.
Know the number before you write the offer.
Four questions, no credit pull. Adriana will send an itemised cash-to-close estimate with every negotiable fee flagged — including the ones we charge — so nothing surprises you at the table.